memories

January 11, 2013

I have no doubt that Richard changed my life. I
met him my first year of graduate school, and was immediately taken by the way
he managed to not only maintain, but enjoy, a balance between life as a
top-flight academic and a man who appreciated other things (such as the
orchestra...and the "real world"). Later in grad school, as I hit
that wall of self-doubt that most grad students probably encounter, I reached
out to Richard. We began eating lunches together and I started to know him as
one of the gentlest, most insightful people I had ever met. He never once told
me what to do - but his well-placed questions and unconditional support
certainly were instrumental into me deciding to stay in the program. I am certainly
happy where I am, and I would not be here if not for Richard. People influence
our lives every day, but Richard impacted mine more than nearly anyone else I
can think of. That being said, my favorite memories of him aren't those dealing
with soul-searching over coffee--they're of his playful nature, the sense that
he never took himself too seriously, and the obvious joy he felt from simply
being present--existing in a particular space in a particular moment, truly
living rather than drifting from one spot to the next.